Jocularly
/ˈdʒɒkjʊlərli/noun
In a joking or playful manner.
Did you know?Jocularly comes from Latin iocularis, tied to iocus meaning “jest” or “fun,” and that same root gave English words connected to joking, not magic—but it still reveals how seriously ancient cultures treated the power of playful speech.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*yek-
“to speak, say, or utter”
Latin
Latin
iocus
“a jest, joke, or playful saying”
Latin
Latin
iocularis
“joking, playful”
Middle English
English
joculare
“to jest or speak playfully”
Modern English
English
jocularly
“in a joking or humorous manner”